Smart Growth UK

A headline from GB News stating: Motorists switch to using public transport to avoid paying £5 daily congestion charge

In shock news, motorists have switched to public transport to avoid paying the Oxford Congestion Charge.
A spokesperson* said: "This is exactly what was meant to happen, and it did."

YouTube video by ITV News We uncovered the redacted climate report the government didn’t want you to see

ITV News report on the UK governments 'secret' report about the Climate Emergency.

Frankly, it just says the obvious if you have half a brain in your skull. But at least it's in writing.

youtu.be/59DZiPdsOc8?...

Government accused of caving in to building lobby amid plans to shake up housing sector in England New changes to planning rules would limit scope of English councils and prevent them pursuing improvements to low-carbon homes

#BuildBabyBuild
tinyurl.com/mps7et5e

Is spring in the last week of February necessarily a good sign?

We definitely need that, but political action is being rapidly undermined by a flood of climate-change denial, mostly on X, by people claiming to be climate scientists (who often don't have a clue). And it's working. Two of our political parties are now opposing even net-zero.

While human capital has increased, natural capital has declined. All businesses depend on and impact nature, and can be positive agents of change.

Find out more in the new IPBES #BizBiodiversity Assessment Report: https://bit.ly/IPBES12Media

Flawed economic models mean climate crisis could crash global economy, experts warn States and financial bodies using modelling that ignores shocks from extreme weather and climate tipping points

“The climate scientists we surveyed were unambiguous: current economic models can’t capture what matters most – the cascading failures and compounding shocks that define climate risk in a warmer world – and could undermine the very foundations of economic growth.”

Should be the top story everyday.

Why don't we see more people cycling in new housing developments? When we visit new housing estates something is usually missing.

NEW BLOG POST: Why don't we see more cyclists on our visits to new housing estates?

www.transportfornewhomes.org.uk/why-dont-we-...

"We are asking for a WW2 level of leadership".

Professor @mikebernerslee.bsky.social at the National Emergency Briefing in Westminster.

Has your MP joined the Parliamentary Call for Gov to make a televised emergency briefing to the nation?

Check here: www.nebriefing.org/parliamentar...
#NEB2025

If it puts your area at the heart of the disastrously unsustainable #OxCamArc then it's very clearly the wrong move.

Our Director Kat Jones has written an analysis of the Edinburgh hyperscale data centre decision for Bella Caledonia. She explains how the result will have ripples far beyond the city as other data centes make it through the planning system.

bellacaledonia.org.u...

The cost of money: New College’s economic aspirations threaten ethical standards  - The Oxford Blue By engaging with the development, New College would be complicit in supporting this regime’s conduct and politics.

Modern times.
tinyurl.com/2rsmjmwa

Developers will only bring us more car-dependent sprawl | Letters Letters: Jon Reeds on low-density developments, plus a letter from Richard Eltringham

Jon Reeds' letter about "Gilston New Town".
tinyurl.com/5x3c9tzd

One in nine new homes in England built in areas of flood risk, study shows Figures from Aviva also show number of homes being built in risky areas is on the rise

#BuildBabyBuild
tinyurl.com/mte6wdha

Clayton Heights site may be built on after green belt status lost The land is now classified as

Cities like Bradford have thousands of run down homes and huge mills ripe for conversion. Yet building is still being focused on green fields in the suburbs. When did Labour stop believing in urban renewal and start backing wealthy building developers?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

In the 53rd of this long-running (over 2 years) series of blogs Nick MacKinnon leads further technical criticism of this windfarm proposal now on its 3rd (hopeless) iteration markavery.info/2026/02/16/g...

#wind #turbine #peat #SAC/SPA #wildlife

YouTube video by Channel 4 News Collapse of this Atlantic current could change Europe's climate forever

Great Channel 4 News report on the latest #AMOC monitoring.
"Trouble is: there is now growing scientific consensus that the AMOC is weakening."
@noc.ac.uk
youtu.be/JpOpsMOBsL4?...

This is why electrification means more energy security:

In 2024, ~81% of EU electricity came from locally sourced fuels (57% excluding nuclear). Just 19% relied on imported fossil fuels.

Fossil fuels are mostly imported.

Source @ember-energy.org

Having spent most of my working life in transport policy, this is the essential truth that so many people - including politicians with responsibility for transport decisions - don’t or won’t get.

To reduce congestion, you reduce capacity and reduce speed. The empirical evidence is overwhelming.

Look at the long running assault on planning (+, more recently, environmental regulation) pushed by a range of international vested interests including big oil, property & the whole dark empire of neoliberal influencing.

Point of no return: a hellish ‘hothouse Earth’ getting closer, scientists say Continued global heating could set irreversible course by triggering climate tipping points, but most people unaware

Meanwhile we're beating ourselves up over low growth rates at a time we need alternatives to traditional neoliberal economics.
Why is anyone still listening to those "lobbying for greed"?
tinyurl.com/2akmfmc9

Check here to see if your MP has signed For MPs and Peers to express support for briefing the nation on the threats from climate & nature breakdown to the UK’s security, food supply, health and economy.

Has your MP joined the Parliamentary Call for a televised emergency briefing on the #climate and #nature crisis?

www.nebriefing.org/parliamentar...

If not please ask them to watch the expert briefings.
www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

#NEB2025 #TimeToStepUp #NationalEmergencyBriefing

Demand better transport in new development! Launched with a pledge to “go further than ever before” to meet housing targets, the Government is consulting on the biggest shake-up of planning rules since 2012. A few welcome words on transport, li...

The definition of sustainable transport modes should not continue to include “ultra low emission vehicles”. Sustainability cannot be reduced to tailpipe emissions, as even electric cars have huge environmental and social consequences.
actionnetwork.org/letters/dema...

BLOG The sudden collapse of Neoliberal Labour follows years of working with the Tufton St gang and its influence operations to secure more wealth for the wealthy. We need to make sure it marks a genuine turning point in government policy.
tinyurl.com/mt2zbh9d

"Regulation that helps address challenges to humankind, that is timely, effective, efficient, fair and proportionate, as well as participatory, transparent and duly evidence-based. This means that evidence-based decision-making should never be foregone, and neither should democratic participation

A hitherto unappreciated benefit of low traffic neighbourhoods.

Jane Jacobs: 4 Rules for Fostering Good Urbanism In the fast-urbanizing South, Jane Jacobs’s common denominators for vibrant cities still apply | by Aaron Lubeck

Jane Jacobs' thinking continues to enlighten us about living cities.
She identified four critical ingredients for a vibrant urbanism:
❇️ The need for (1) density, (2) varied buildings, (3) mixed uses, and (4) short blocks.
-
Read at Southern Urbanism 💫
-
www.southernurbanism.org/p/jane-jacob...

Looks like the flood of lies about climate change and net zero, unleashed by the oil industry, especially on social media, is starting to undermine the action we urgently need.

Most of England’s smart motorways are poor value for money, official reports find AA says long-awaited evaluations show schemes are a ‘catastrophic waste of time, money and effort’

Finally the DfT has published the much delayed 16 'smart' motorway reports

These show what a colossal waste of time and money these have been and harm they've caused the economy. Justified on basis of National Highways' dodgy traffic models

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

We're forgetting the 2024 NPPF then?